Last Friday's Alabama-LSU Gymnastics meet will be broadcast on espn2 Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2:00 p.m. CST.

GAINESVILLE, FLA --- Alabama gymnastics head coach Sarah Patterson knew coming in that tonight's meet with Florida was going to be a challenge, but that's what she wanted.

And that is exactly what she got in a meet that came down to the last competitor for each team. Alabama came up just short of the Gators 196.550-19.350.

"Tonight was a great meet," Patterson said. "It is the second week in a row that we've had a meet come right down to the wire. It's what makes this conference so awesome. Being in a pressure situation on the last event, and that event being the balance beam is going to hold us in good stead come championship season."

Roll Tide and 'Target the Cure'! It's time for another great night of gymnastics on GymTide.com. And, while you're keeping an eye on the Tide as they take on the Florida Gators down in Gainesville tonight, it's not too early to start making your plans for next Friday's [ 'Target the Cure' ] meet with the Auburn Tigers. In honor of both teams agreeing to wear pink leotards for the meet, we've made a few 'pinkifications' here on the website. It's all in an effort to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer. We hope will join us at Coleman Coliseum on February 4th to watch the 'PinkTide' and the 'PinkTigers' join in the battle. There will be numerous 'Think Pink' give-aways, so arrive early and 'Wear Pink'. Tickets are going fast - don't be shut out!

The Alabama Gymnastics team, which remained at No. 4 in the latest national rankings released today, will face No. 5 Florida this Friday in Gainesville.

A mere .025 separates the two teams in the rankings, which are figured by season average as of this week. Utah remains and No. 1, followed by UCLA and Michigan.

After a standout performance on the floor exercise last Friday to close out LSU, Alabama jumped to No. 1 on the floor exercise this week. The Tide is eighth on the vault, ninth on the balance beam and 10th on the uneven bars

Last Friday's Alabama-LSU Gymnastics meet will be broadcast on espn2 Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CST.

The meet, which came down to the last competitor, stands as one of the most exciting dual meets in Southeastern Conference history. Commentators Cathy Johnson and Bart Connors call the action from Coleman Coliseum on this instant classic.

Alabama junior Ashley Miles hit a 10.0 on the vault while freshman Terin Humphrey chipped in a 9.95 on the balance beam to keep the Tide neck and neck with the LSU.

We have Postmeet Commentaries for the Alabama vs LSU meet

• Alabama vs LSU (Friday, January 21, 2005)

We have a new "Chalk Talk" from Coach Patterson:

• Chalk talk - Target the Cure with Alabama Gymnastics

We've updated the [ Gymnasts Home Pages ] with a new photo, new and very detailed highlites and up to date statistics!

The Alabama Gymnastics team, which remained at No. 4 in the [ latest national rankings ] released today, will face No. 5 Florida this Friday in Gainesville.

A mere .025 separates the two teams in the rankings, which are figured by season average as of this week. Utah remains and No. 1, followed by UCLA and Michigan.

After a standout performance on the floor exercise last Friday to close out LSU, Alabama jumped to No. 1 on the floor exercise this week. The Tide is eighth on the vault, ninth on the balance beam and 10th on the uneven bars

TUSCALOOSA, ALA - Sarah Patterson said it all week, telling anyone that would listen that the Alabama-LSU gymnastics meet would come down to the last two competitors for each team on the last event.

That is exactly what happened Friday night at Coleman Coliseum, as fourth-ranked Alabama got 9.9s or better from its final three gymnasts on the floor exercise to outlast the No. 8 LSU Tigers, 197.175-197.050, in front of 9,718 fans.

"I remember saying this week that I felt this meet would come down to the last four routines, the last two beam routines for LSU and Alexis Brion and Ashley Miles on floor," Patterson said. "I just wanted to be close enough to put ourselves in position to win the meet. Lo and behold going to the last rotation we were tied. I told the girls before we went to floor, the first four up need to set the tone and put in Alexis and Ashley's hands and they did great."

Not only will two of the nation's best gymnastics team square off Friday night in Coleman Coliseum when No. 4 Alabama takes on No. 8 LSU, but fans will also be treated to a performance of world championship proportion.

The two-time World Champion Acro Gymnastics team of Arthur Davis and Shenea Booth will perform during the Crimson Tide meet. In addition to winning the World Championship in 2002 and 2004, Davis and Booth were a part of the T.J. Maxx Tour of Champions this fall, the same tour that featured Alabama freshman and two- time Olympic Silver Medalist Terin Humphrey.

"When we went to see Terin on the T.J. Maxx tour this fall, we saw Arthur and Shenea perform and we knew this is something that Alabama fans would really enjoy," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "We're very excited that they could join us for this meet. Our fans are in for a real treat."

The season's first home meet featured a little something for everyone: something old, something new (but nothing borrowed, and - most definitely - nothing blue!). The gym season ends each year in such an intense mode, with the championships and all. You just forget how much fun a home gym meet is. Last Friday night was a sure-fire cure for that!

We have Postmeet Commentaries for the Alabama vs Iowa State meet

• Alabama vs Iowa State (Friday, January 14, 2005)

For the second time in as many weeks, Alabama's Ashley Miles has been named Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week.

The junior All-American turned in the league's top all-around score of 39.400 against No. 9 Iowa State, helping the then No. 16 ranked Tide upset the Cyclones. Miles also led the Tide to an SEC best 195.975 against Iowa State, which helped the Tide jump to No. 4 this week in the national rankings. Her 9.95 on the floor exercise and 9.925 on the vault against ISU are the best marks in the conference and fourth best in the nation.

Miles and her Alabama teammates take on LSU in Coleman Coliseum Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.BAMA) or online at www.rolltide.com.

Head coach Sarah Patterson said her Alabama gymnastics team would get better over the course of the season, and from week one to week two, the Crimson Tide has done just that, leaping 12 spots in the [ national rankings ] to No. 4 this week.

The rankings, based on a team's season high, find Utah and UCLA still at No. 1 and 2 respectively after a strong first week. Neither team matched their season opener this past weekend. Michigan jumped into the third spot in the rankings with a 196.025 over the weekend with Alabama scoring a 195.975 against Iowa State to take the No. 4 position, up from 16 a week ago.

Oklahoma, Georgia and Arizona State are fifth, sixth this week. Alabama will be seeing No. 8 LSU this Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum for its second home meet of the season. BYU is ninth and Florida, Alabama's opponent in two weeks, rounds out the top-10.

For GymTide fans wishing to make plans for the 2005 NCAA National Championships at Auburn University, April 21 - 23, 2005, rooms have been 'blocked out' at the following hotels:

• The Lodge and Conference Center, $119, Kristi, 334-737-2176 (Alabama Gymnastics)
• Holiday Inn Express, $79.86, Jeff, 334-502-1090 (Alabama Gymnastics Boosters and Parents)

• Hampton Inn: 334-821-4111
• Hilton Garden Inn: 877-STAY HGI

TUSCALOOSA, ALA --- This was more like it.

After a shaky start last week, the No. 16 ranked Alabama gymnastics team beat No. 9 Iowa State 195.975-193.750 in front of 9,885 fans here in Coleman Coliseum tonight. It was the 2005 Crimson Tide's home debut.

The night was also marked by another debut. It was one routine, but it got one of the biggest cheers of the night, as Alabama freshman Terin Humphrey made her Alabama and Coleman Coliseum debut. The two-time Olympic Silver medalist won the uneven bars with a score of 9.9 with a routine she made look easy.

Greetings Bama gymnastics fans and visitors, welcome to another exciting gymnastics season here on GymTide.com. If you've been visiting the site over the last several weeks, you know that we have been making some changes and additions. Stay tuned, there are even more on the way! We hope that these changes will help us do even a better job of bringing the sights, sounds, and stories of Crimson Tide gymnastics to you, the fan. If you'll pardon us blowing our own horn a little, we like to think that, for a very long time, GymTide.com has been the best college gymnastics booster site in the country. We intend to keep it that way!

The team has, of course, already been in action, placing third in the season opening 'Super Six Challenge' last Friday night in Gainesville, Florida. The followers of the University of Florida GymGators put on a fine show of support, packing the stands with over 8000 enthusiastic fans. Rest assured, though, the Tide upperclassmen have advised the freshmen that they haven't seen (or heard!) anything yet. With that in mind, the staff here at GymTide.com would like to take this opportunity challenge the BamaNation to show up in numbers so vast that it will stun and amaze even the seniors!

The Alabama Gymnastics team will be in a rare position when they open up the home season Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Iowa State.

For the first time since 2002, Alabama comes into a home meet as the underdog against a non-conference opponent. In the season's first rankings, which are based on high score, Alabama is 16th and Iowa State is 9th. The last time the Tide faced a higher ranked non-conference opponent in Coleman Coliseum was March 16 when No. 2 Crimson Tide faced No. 1 UCLA.

"Iowa State has been to nationals," Patterson said. "Their goal is to go to the national championship at Auburn this year. That's why they're scheduling to come to a place like Alabama this year and compete in front of a big crowd. It doesn't do us any good to compete against the sisters of the poor. Our athletes wouldn't get any better."

Alabama junior Ashley Miles was named the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week by the league office.

In her first competition since winning the 2004 NCAA Vault and Floor Exercise titles, Miles won three events at the Super Six Challenge last Friday night in Gainesville, Fla. The San Antonio, Texas native won the all-around, the vault and floor exercise, leading Alabama to a third place team finish.

Friday marked the first time Miles has competed in the all-around collegiately, and the third time she has won the Super Six Challenge vault and floor exercise titles. Nationally she is ranked 10th in the all-around and fifth in the vault.

The Sarah Patterson Show, in its sixth season, makes its 2005 debut this week.

The show, which features highlights and interviews of the Alabama Gymnastics team, is hosted by veteran broadcaster Tom Roberts and Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson. This week the show can be seen in the Tuscaloosa area on WVUA (channel 3 on the Comcast cable system) Wednesday (Jan. 12) at 6:30 p.m. The show will air twice on Thursday on CSS (Comcast 29) at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Those outside the Tuscaloosa area should check their local listings for air dates and channels. This week's show will feature highlights from the season opening Super Six Challenge, including SEC Gymnast of the Week Ashley Miles.

We have Postmeet Commentaries for the Super Six Challenge

• Super Six Challenge (Friday, January 07, 2005)

Attention Tide Tykes & Teens parents! The annual Tide Tykes & Teens Jamboree is this Sunday, January 16, 2005, from 3:30 to 5:30 in the PARA Belk Center. For additional information and a link to a printable sign-up form please [ click this link ] and follow the instructions to view and/or print the form. Roll Tide!!!

• Tide Tykes & Teens Web Page
• 2005 season Tide Tykes & Teens Membership Form - Adobe Acrobat PDF format file . (To save to disk, Right click and choose "Save Target as...")

We have a new "Chalk Talk" from Coach Patterson:

• Chalk talk - "It's not where you start...it's how you end!"

The Alabama Gymnastics team is ranked 16^th nationally after finishing third at the Super Six Challenge in Gainesville, Fla. last Friday.

The rankings are based on high score for the first two weeks of the season. Utah and UCLA, which met in Salt Lake City, Utah this weekend, are first and second respectively. Iowa State, the Tide's opponent for this Friday's home opener, is ninth.

For its opening home meet of the 2005 season, the Alabama gymnastics program will be admitting children eighth grade and younger free of charge. They will be admitted through a pass gate on the night of the meet and seated in general admission areas. Parents and adults accompanying those children can buy tickets for the general admission areas.

GAINESVILLE, FL - Alabama gymnastics head coach Sarah Patterson said through the preseason that her team would start out a bit slower than last season. Tonight at the Super Six Challenge it became obvious that the Crimson Tide wouldn't be the only team in that position.

"I told the ladies before the meet that we needed a starting point," Patterson said. "Now that we have it, we're going to work hard to improve. It will be much different for us than it was last year, when we came out of the gate on top and had to maintain that level."

"Sometimes the fun is in getting better, and we intend to do just that."

The Tide scored a 193.875, led by junior Ashley Miles who won her first collegiate all-around with a 39.35. Miles won her third consecutive Super Six Challenge vault and floor exercise titles. Miles won the vault with a 9.9 and shared top honors on the floor exercise with teammate Alexis Brion, a senior and Georgia freshman Katie Heenan after scoring a 9.9. Miles was second on the uneven bars with a 9.850 while Brion was second on vault with a 9.875. Senior Shannon Hrozek was second on the balance beam with a 9.825.

Alabama will be making history on Friday (Jan. 7) night when they become the first gymnastics program to have a meet broadcast live over the radio.

WVUA-FM (New Rock 90.7) will broadcast the Super Six Challenge live from Gainesville, Fla. with Chad Anderson providing the 'play-by-play' while Leesa Davis will provide color commentary. The broadcast will start at 5:30 p.m. CT with a 30 minute pre-meet show. In addition to describing the action of one of the nation's premiere regular season meets, the broadcast will also feature interviews with coaches and athletes. WVUA will broadcast all the Crimson Tide's meets this season.

Those not in the Tuscaloosa listening area can pick up the broadcast over the internet via links on www.rolltide.com and www.gymtide.com. The Crimson Tide will continue to provide live internet commentary and scoring as well.

Is it just me, or has this been the longest off-season ever? And I don't know about you, but I am ready, ready, ready for some gymnastics. Oh, I was OK for a little while after last season ended, what with the Olympics and all. The football team helped a lot, too, with their season-long 'triumph over tragedy' story. But, now that the fall teams have started winding down and the old north wind has started to blow - well, it's time for the GymTide! And here are a few things I came up with that might be fun to look for this season:

The Alabama gymnastics team opens the 2005 season on the road with a powerhouse lineup at the Super 6 Challenge Friday in Gainesville, Fla.

The Super 6 Challenge, in its sixth season, features three Southeastern Conference and three at-large teams in a championship style meet. All six teams in this year's Challenge are ranked in the preseason top-20, and the SEC half of the lineup ranks in the top-6. Alabama comes into the season at No. 4 while Georgia and Florida are No. 2 and 6 respectively. No. 13 Arizona, No. 17 Iowa and No. 19 Penn State make up the at-large field.

Crimson Tide head coach Sarah Patterson and her troops are ready to get the season going, after a long preseason.

The Ten Troupe, the official student support group for Alabama Gymnastics, is taking membership applications. Any Alabama student is eligible. For only $20.00 you will get a gameday style t-shirt at each of the 5 regular season meets, free Pizza Magia pizza, chances to win great prizes and the best floor seats in the Coliseum! The first home meet is Friday, January 14 against Iowa State starting at 7:30.

• Applications for The Ten Troupe

Please print out the form and send it with $20.00 or take it by the Gymnastics office at the back of the Coliseum or bring it with you to the meet. The Ten Troupe is limited to first 100 students, and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Alabama Gymnastics Team conducted a final intra-squad meet prior to heading to Gainesville, Florida for the 2005 Super Six Challenge. The coaches treated this like an official meet, which included 15-minute warm-ups on each apparatus and the donning of the competition leos within a set time period. The coaches challenged the Tide by starting them on the floor exercise and finishing on the balance beam. Results were mixed as several gymnasts were performing complete routines after only a few days of practice since returning from the Christmas Holiday break. This was evident in the lack of timing and rhythm with the execution of certain elements. However, the overall impression we came away with was still very good in terms of the degree of difficulty they were throwing at this early juncture across all events and the solid efforts of each gymnast. Before we describe the performances in order of the line-up on each apparatus, we will take some time to address a few observations and relate some news, to be known as Tidebits from this point forward in honor of Alabama fan, almays1.